Fire-rescue cable



Mar. 13, 1923-.

A H. E. HODGSON.

EIRE RESCUE CABLE.

FILED JUNE 16,1921

adults, or for children.

Patented 13, 1923.. .y

naar

HARRIETTE E. HODGSONQOF NEW .XOR-K, N, Y.'

Fran-Russian CABLE. f

Application, inea June 1c, i921. serial 310.477,87;

Cable, of which the following is a specifi-py cation. 1

Theobject of this inventionvis to provide a simple and efficient form' of fire'rescue apparatus by means of which afnumber ot persons can be quickly and safely lowered at one timevfrom a window or roof of a burning building. Generally speaking, the device comprises a rope or cable adapted to be kept folded in an accessible position'inv the building orto be carried as a part of the equi ment on vlire-fighting apparatus,

lthis cab e bearing fatintervals means by which individuals, either adults or'children,

can be 'readily l-secured to the cable, so that it is impossible 'for them to fall, and to Which they may also cling, together with ropes, also at intervals, serving as handles for lowering, and together also lwith loops at the securing regions by means of which the persons being lowered can be pulled in through lower window openings. The securing and holding-on devices are adjusted with equal convenience for larger'or smaller Thetwo ends of the main cable are furnished with distinctive indicators, so that the end to be lowered first can be instantly selected by the fire men. The ropes or straps alongthe main cable for handling andk for tying are distinguished by means of color.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a portion of such a rescue cable, the upper end being shown with an intermediate region of indeterminate length broken out, the cable being illus-v trated as if in use with two of the securing regions occupied by a child and an adult; and

Fig. 2 is an elevation on a smaller scalel At intervals, along the vcable, arevfasten ing and holding-'on devices constituting at tachng stations. Three of these groups are illustrated in Fig. l, thenaembers of the upper group beingrepresented as spread' out for `jclearness of illustration and they others being shown'- in use'. 'Eachf off'the groups includes a pair of ropes, straps or flexiblemembers 5 fastenedv to the' main cable at the same point. `Each of these memf bers includes a plurality of loops '6, prefern ably two in number, nextfto each otherand` ,l yone nearer to'yvt'hemain cable vthan the other, beyond which themember islcontinued in suitable length to be passed aroundfth'e body and tied." The arms of the individual'4 areV the shoulder, the loops nearer themain cable serving yfor small persons and the ,twoy loops more vremote )for "stout persons, The free ends 2,are then passedaround"'the body .e'uifdll vtied in front to thernain cable', these vends c beingmade long enough so that they can be tied about eitheristout or slenderbodies. At` aj lower point in yeach group are two other ropes or flexible members 7, of suit-rl able length for adjustment, which vare tied ypassed lthrough two` of these loopsfupfto A about the legs. Adjacent these members, atk y different heights, are pairs ofrings 8 secured by short lengths of rope 9 tothe main cable. Preferably, as shown, there is -one pair of these rings directly above the members 7 and another pair somewhat bevlow the said members.` These rings serve as foot rests for tall or short persons, or in some, cases `the legs may be passed through them. Another ring l0 is tied to the mainv cable ata point suliiciently above-each pair of flexible members 'l 5` tol enable it to be readily grasped by the hands ofthe person y y .i

strapped in place. At convenient or frequent intervals other ropes or flexible members 11 are secured in pairs to the main cable, these ropesbeing designed to serve as handles for the firemen in vlowering the freighted cable.4 These ropes are knotted' for security of grasping as indicated at112. Adjacent the stations where vthe individuals are secured to the cable are flexible tion, and have suiiicientspread or `fullness so that theyare readily laccessible-[to the o f Lilie hands of a fireman who uses them as a lowering device when he can no longer get his purchase on the main cable where a body is tied. Said loops also 'be grasped by a grappling hook or the hands of a person leaning from the window of a lower story*v which may not be affected by the fire.

ln order to prevent confusion and loss ci time when strapping the persons to be rescued to the cable.I it is important that the ropes be differentiated in such manner that their function can be told at a glance. This is in'pa'r't accomplished by the diierentiorm of these members, but a certain method oi distinguishing them is by coloring them or marking them with different colors. nihus the' handle members l1 will be one color,

' for example red7 and the v'tying membersl 5,

, ropes or flexible' members along it.

vbe' apparent.

7 will' be another color, for example blue7 or these two pairs of members in eac-h groupl may be identified each by a difl'erent color. From the foregoing description the use and manner of operation of the device will' A number oi' persons gathered in one of the rooms are tied orstrapped to the* cable at the places provided.' Its operationpis facilitated by the distinctive markingA of the two ends of the'ca'ble and ofTthe 'he loaded cable is then lowered from' the window until all th'e'persons secured toit have 4either reached the ground or been taken in 'length of the main cable above the last or uppermost attaching station to enable a person at this station to be lowered to the ground from the predetermined height.

l claim:

l. tire-rescue cable havinga series ci devices along its length for securing a number of persons' to be lowered from a building, and rope members branching fromthfe main lcable and distributed along its length at such intervals as to serve as lowering handles. l s

2 A fire-rescue cable having a series of devices along its length for securing a number of persons to be lowered fromr a building, rope Ymembers branching Jfrom the 'main cable and distributed along lts-length at such intervals as to serve 'as lo'werifrig'` handles7 and loops the opposite endsl of which are attached to the cable near the comprising` a plurality of spaced pairs of' rings for the feet, a ringfortliehands,

pass aroundth'e bod g y HRRLETTE E. "OBGSON,

straps to 

